Tag Archives: eyelets

Arya Colors

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As promised, here is the second color section of my Arya Shawl. I have found this to be my “reward” knitting of late. It is busy season for this accountant at work so I come home pretty much wiped out. And so in the quiet of the evening I have been reaching for this project to work on. I may only have time for a few rows before I fall asleep but with DK weight yarn it shows the progress quickly. The shawl looks less thong like now.

I’m super late the party with the grellow color combination. But I’m really loving the grey and yellow contrast. But with this Chubbs and Squeak yarn also being a tweed yarn there is a consistent element flowing throughout. I’m still not 100% proficient on my CCD or centered double decreases and I have to fudge them sometimes to keep my stitch counts correct. But hey, this is garter stitch so it’s very forgiving!

My favorite of favorite parts so far? The mosaic slipped stitch color work portion that transitions between the two colors. it just makes my heart happy!

Happy knitting!!

Wool and Waves Progress

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Since re-configuring the order of my Cornbread and Honey mini skeins I have been encouraged to pick up my Wool and Waves more. I have now added in the second mini skein. I did make the executive decision to not finish the first full mini and to add the second mini at a strategic place in the pattern. I might save a little from each mini to add to my memory blanket…who knows! I also chose to fade in the color ala Andrea Mowry so that this first color change wouldn’t be so stark.

I did make one sobering realization after adding the second mini. Since I was adapting the pattern to fit my needs I hadn’t really read the pattern in detail. I am pretty sure after a more careful examination that this pattern calls for yarn held double. And I’m only using one strand so the yardage the pattern calls for might be wildly different from how I’m using it. Meaning, I possibly wont’ get through all my colors.

The shawl is still very pretty and I have decided to roll with it. I’m already adapting the pattern anyway I will just see where my yardage takes me and I will figure it out when I get there!

Happy Knitting!!

Advent Reconfigured

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I kind of hit stopping point on my Wool and Waves shawl. I just found myself staring at the minis as they dyer had ordered them. Something was niggling away at the back of my brain that made me not want to pick up this project. I will also note that my knitting mojo has kind of taken a hit post-holidays. I think between festivities and three rounds of the stomach virus through my house….this girl is just tired.

But I digress, pictured below is the order the dyer intended. I just don’t like the brown speckled skein in 8th position. And I think the two blue/teal skeins before it should be reversed. It was at this point that I realized I’m the boss of my own knitting and I can do as I darn well please.

So I reorganized like this…..

I think the colors achieve the fade much more like I really want. Each mini has an aspect of the skein before and after it. And I feel like I’m reengaged with this project and ready to knit more. Time will tell…..I’m also addicted to my Christmas Eve cast on. There’s only so many minutes this working momma has to knit in a given day so it’s hard choices all around.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Wool and Waves

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I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep knitting the Annapurna Scarf. It was just too much purling and too many times of getting off my stitch count and not lining up with the pattern. I ripped that baby out before I even got to the first color change. Life is too short to force yourself to knit something!

I did another Ravelry dive. I think now I have like 10 or 12 advent mini patterns floating around in my favorites. I settled on Wool and Waves by Casapinka.  It’s garter stitch and some eyelets and so much more satisfying to work on.

Now mine will not look like the pattern. I am not fussing around with striping my colors. I am just working my quasi-fade and using the stitch patterns. So I will hopefully end up with the same shape but a very different color effect. I have worked mostly through the first mini skein. And for some reason I can’t explain the whole shebang is still living in the large cardboard box it came in…I just can’t be bothered I guess.

PS. I’m still in LOVE with the project bag it came with!

Happy Knitting

FO Friday: Sherwood Forest Wrap

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The Sherwood Forest Wrap is off the blocking boards and ready to wear. Jellybean and I put it through its paces for its finished object photos. It was more challenging that we anticipated. It has lovely drape and really showcases the Knitcircus hand dyed gradient very well though.

After much debate, Jellybean and I decided this was the best way to wear the “scarf”. I simply just folded in half and secured with my shawl cuff. This way you can see all the colors and the different textures. Speaking of textures I did see some gauge changes in this project. There are some loose spots and some tight spots. Jellybean told me that just makes it extra unique. He’s a pretty smart kiddo.

This project has me noodling another rectangle wrap. I will take what I learned an adapt a sort of “design my own” wrap. I have a gradient set in my stash from BlueberryChickYarn in a set of purples.  It has less yardage than the KnitCircus skein but I think with some tinkering with the stitch count and pattern repeat sizes I could make a wider and shorter stole to wrap up in. But that may have to be a wishful knitting idea until I work through some of my unfinished objects. Who knows…maybe I’ll just cast on all the things!

Pattern: Pride Wrap by Nicole Tavares (best for at least an advanced beginner because the pattern has errors)

Needles: US 7s

Yarn: KnitCircus Trampoline base in the discontinued Sherwood Forest Color

I used all but 2 yards of the 660 yard cake of yarn for this heavily modified version of the pattern.

Happy Knitting!!

Blocking A Rectangle

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Welcome to 2020 everyone! I hope New Years Eve was kind to all. With two kids now the hubby and I don’t exactly burn it down anymore. We usually watch a comedy on Netflix and share a cocktail after the kids go to bed. It suits us and it’s nice. Plus I don’t feel bad the next day!

The kids are still in the throws of ecstasy of their Christmas presents so I got some decent knitting time in this morning while they wrecked the house.The Sherwood Forest Wrap is bound off with only the tiniest amount of yarn left. I think it was less than two yards…

Jellybean assisted with the washing (mostly the wool soap part) while I manned the blocking wires. He wanted it to dry “super fast” so we turned a fan on it to speed up the process.

The shape is a very tall rectangle. I’m not sure if this will make it hard to wear or not. I will have to see how it wraps around me when it is dry. I’m still in love with this piece and it might be the most joyous thing I knit all year!

What was your best 2019 project?

Snow Knitting

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I am still plowing through my Sherwood Forest Wrap. And also the roads in Kansas could use a plow as well. It wasn’t that bad according to my husband but I was glad to have my knitting to focus on.

I never heard back from the designer about the pattern error. So I’m just kind of using the pattern as a loose suggestion and making up my own thing to maximize yarn usage. All my sections are equal sized where the pattern has them staggered in a fashion. This might come back to haunt me later.

I am just so addicted to how this gradient is coming out. This is one of those projects I just can’t put down! I should start weighing my yarn to see when I need to start the end but for now I’ll just keep knitting…

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Progression Shawl

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I finished a beautiful thing and I’m just busting at the seams to share it. The yarn did most of the work but the pattern and yarn just went together so well. Jellybean helped me style some FO photos of my Progression Shawl.

Pattern: Progression Shawl by Carin Risinger

Yarn: Frabjous Fiber and Wonderland yarns Cheshire Cat in the Mad Tea Party color

Needles: US 5s

Mods: I faded in the color changes between my five mini skeins

This shawl/scarf is MASSIVE. I took out an actual tape measure and the blocked dimensions are 90 inches by 13 inches deep. It fills our king size bed from corner to corner. I was really pleased with this pattern. It was straightforward and easy to hack to fit my yardage. Not to mention it is just plain lovely because garter has a special place in my heart.

I have decided that this will be going in the gift pile. This beauty will be wrapped up under the Christmas tree for my mom. Meanwhile, I am wishful knitting and stash diving for my next shawl cast on.  I can’t have empty shawl needles!!

Happy knitting!

Blocking My Progression

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I not only finished the knitting of the Progression shawl but I also got Jellybean to help me block it over the weekend! This thing turned out massively long. It barely fits on our guest bed. We affectionately call it “the Star Wars” bed after the quilt my mom made for my husband.

The eyelets opened up so nicely that I didn’t even pin it out. It was so massive to begin with that I just kind of pulled and patted it into shape. I am going to have to get a real tape measure to measure this object because none of my knitting tape measures a not long enough!!

If the kids let me I’m going to try to get FO pictures this week…fingers crossed.

 

Crafting In Chaos

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This is my life. Messy basement, five year old crowding me in my knitting chair, knitting podcast on TV, and knitting in my lap. Not the most ergonomic of positions but I can’t turn down a snuggle…now matter how much he pokes me with his elbow and makes me watch PBS Curious George games.

I’ve add the fifth and final color to my Progression Shawl. It’s the purple end of the fragmented rainbow. Jellybean tells me it’s his favorite. I have a TON of stitches on the needle now so the yarn is disappearing quickly now. I’m optimistic that I can finish this maybe this weekend?

That is unless snuggles get priority. Happy knitting!!